West Bromwich Albion boss Alan Irvine fears it will be difficult to stop Everton FC's attack

West Bromwich Albion manager Alan Irvine during the Capital One Cup Second Round match at The Hawthorns.

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Alan Irvine fears it will be impossible to completely shut down Everton FC’s attack.

The West Bromwich Albion manager and former Blues coach admits his new side will have their hands full this weekend.

Everton visit the Hawthorns on Saturday looking to banish the demons of their 6-3 loss to Chelsea in their last game.

The Blues have scored seven times in their opening three games but also conceded 10.

Irvine, who was assistant boss under David Moyes before returning to head up Everton’s Academy, said Roberto Martinez’s side pass the ball so well that it is extremely difficult to keep them quiet.

And Irvine knows that with the permanent addition of former West Brom loan star Romelu Lukaku, the Blues are potentially potent up front.

“You’d certainly be trying to limit him trying to get into dangerous places but Everton have got a lot of good players,” Irvine said. “They move the ball extremely well and it’s difficult to stop them getting into dangerous areas for 90 minutes.

“You’ve just got to do what you can to limit that and be ready to deal with it when he gets into those areas. We’re not going to stop Everton creating chances for 90 minutes, I’m quite sure.”

Irvine was surprised that Martinez was given the go-ahead to nearly double Everton’s transfer record.

Lukaku – who is trying to recover from a toe injury in time for Saturday’s game – was bought from Chelsea in a £28m deal this summer and Irvine understands why some compare him to Didier Drogba.

“He did really well at Everton last year and I wasn’t surprised that they bought him,” the West Brom boss added. “I was surprised at the fee because I didn’t think Everton could have gone to that level but that shows how much they rate him and how important they feel he is and that says a lot about him straight away. You can understand the comparison. Drogba has been a magnificent player and still is.

“I think they’ve got some different traits. Romelu is already a top striker but he will continue to develop and Everton is a good place for him. With his attitude and personality he could be a top player.”